Texas Teenager Wows The Crowd With All-around Gymnastics Title

That's when it started. The sparkle from her smile, the sparkle from the glitter smeared all over the tiny girl, the sparkle that is Carly Patterson -- ahem, Carly Patterson, Gold Medalist -- it all momentarily dimmed. The tears welling up in her eyes shimmered across the arena, caught by the television cameras and broadcast to millions back in the United States.

Tears formed in the eyes of her coach, Yevgeny Marchenko, as well. Everyone had been waiting for this. She's finally been found: the Next Mary Lou.

Patterson, the 16-year-old from Allen, Texas, won the women's individual all-around Thursday night, the first American to win one of the Summer Games' premier events since Mary Lou Retton 20 years ago.

"I'm just overwhelmed," Patterson said, gold hanging around her neck. "I can't even believe it yet."

Others have had a feeling for awhile. Bela Karolyi, the longtime U.S. coach who has trained U.S. gymnastic icons Retton and Kerri Strug, had predicted Patterson was the one to watch.

Then as the Games neared, her name was bandied about and expectations mounted.

"It's been a lot of pressure," said Marchenko. "Everyone says, `Carly Patterson has a chance,' [and] compared her to Mary Lou. It's not fair to her. She's 16 years old."

The individual finals seemed scripted for high dramatics. Patterson was scheduled as the last competitor in the final event: a chance to win or lose gold on her own terms.

She started slow Thursday, moving from sixth place to fourth after two rounds. Svetlana Khorkina, the haughty Russian who already won bronze in the team competition earlier this week, was atop the leaderboard after the uneven bars, her specialty.

On the third discipline, though -- the balance beam -- Patterson posted the night's best score of any event, a 9.725, and led Khorkina by less than 0.03 of a point heading into the final discipline.

The beam was the most critical, though. Patterson is strong on the floor, and with that event closing out the competition, many started smelling gold once Patterson stuck her beam landing.

"After she hit the beam, I jumped up and said, `Done,' " said Martha Karolyi, the U.S. team director.

Patterson said she wasn't as sure. Khorkina is the sport's diva and despite her lean 5-foot-5 frame, no slouch on the floor. But this arena had been kind to the Americans. The men's team won a silver. So did the women's team. And just one night earlier, Paul Hamm became the first American to win the men's all-around.

Entering the floor exercise, the stage was set for a theatrical show-down. One woman shamelessly nicknamed herself the "Queen of Gymnastics." The other, a teenager who blushes when complimented.

Patterson doesn't let it show, but there's a bit of history there, too. Last year at the world championships, Khorkina walked out on Patterson's performance. Patterson barely lost to Khorkina in the all-around. This time, it's safe to say Khorkina never thought about leaving the arena.

The Russian's performance was fluid and artistic, scored the night's sixth-best floor performance.

Off to the side, Courtney Kupets wished her teammate good luck. "Have fun," she said. "Do what you can do." Patterson stepped on the mat and smiled. On the floor, Patterson was explosive, launching into the air much higher than the other competitors.

Her first pass was impressive. Her second strong. Her third run across the mat drew cheers, and her final one -- a perfectly-executed double pike -- demanded silent amazement.

The judges gave Patterson a 9.712 -- the night's best floor score -- giving her a total score of 38.387, beating Khorkina by 0.176.

Patterson hugged Marchenko. Hugged Kupets, who finished ninth. Then hugged Marchenko again. The coach picked Patterson off the ground and spun her around. She cried into his shoulder, and Marchenko paraded America's new trophy around the arena.

Patterson met with the world's media not long after. She's quiet, bashful and reticent. It hadn't yet hit her what had happened.

"You dream about this your whole life," she said. "It's just amazing."

Patterson's reign as the Next Mary Lou will surely be a short one. Today everyone will know her name. She's someone for a new generation of young girls to idolize.

"She's going to be on every poster," said Bela Karolyi, who watched from the stands Thursday night. "Millions of girls: `I want to be the next Carly Patterson.' "